Peter Lawless is the Director of The Lawless Edge Ltd

Peter is a leading thinker in environmental and conservation management in New Zealand. His independent practice has spanned organsiational, policy and strategy development across a wide range of sectors as well as technical roles in environmental management. He is a leading practitioner creating collaboration in coastal and environmental management. Peter has over 30 years of experience in the environmental and conservation management public sector of New Zealand. In the Department of Conservation he held the roles of General Manager Conservation Policy, Regional General Manager, Northern, Area Manager Golden Bay, Manager of Internal Audit, Protection Manager Nelson Marlborough, Principal Conservation Officer Coastal and Marine. Peter also worked in a range of roles for the Ministry the Environment, State Coal Mines, the Commission for the Environment, the Department of Lands and Survey, and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. Peter has a first class honours degree in ecology and is a trained group facilitator. His management experience includes managing units of up to 500 people, budgets in excess of $50M and leading organisation wide reviews and re-organisation.

Barbara Graves

I am a facilitator and researcher focusing particularly on supporting health and education processes. I work with a wide range of groups and with wider social processes .
My background is in education - teaching outdoor pursuits, in primary schools and as a school principal. The principles that underpinned my approach to education are very much aligned with facilitation - creating a process through which people can grow and develop as individuals, groups and learning communities to contribute more effectively to the world around them.
The values that I bring to my work are based on integrity and valuing the contributions of everyone involved. I firmly believe that ‘the whole is greater than the sum of the parts’ and that working together towards a shared vision is the way to create a better future.
I enjoy co-facilitation and the opportunities this provides by combining different skills, approaches and experience to enhance group outcomes. I have had experience of this in a range of long term and one-off facilitation contracts. Working on my own, I have provided workshops, training and strategic planning sessions for government agencies, local government, NGO’s, the private sector and for a range of inter-sectoral projects